This invention relates to dirt working or dirt grading implements. More particularly, this invention relates to such implements adapted for removable attachment to the lift arms of a skid steer loader or a front loader tractor, to the boom arm of an excavator or tractor backhoe, or to a rear three point hitch of a tractor.
The curtilage of a newly constructed house or commercial building typically comprises rough bare ground having tire ruts and dirt mounds. Typically, a final step in construction of such new home or commercial building includes filling ruts, smoothing the ground, and leveling dirt mounds so that the ground has proper drainage away from the building, and so that the ground is ready for landscaping and lawn planting. This stage of construction is commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cfinal grading.xe2x80x9d
Items of heavy mobile construction equipment which a building contractor typically has available for performing final grading include tractors having a rear three point implement hitch, skid steer loaders or front loader tractors having articulating paired lift arms, and tractor backhoes or excavators having a jointed articulating boom arm. A typical earth moving implement attachable to such three point hitch is a box blade, and a typical earth moving implement attachable to such lift arms or boom arm is a dirt moving bucket. While a dirt moving bucket may efficiently move localized piles of earth, and while a box blade may efficiently smooth narrow swaths of ground, neither implement is capable of quickly and efficiently grading an entire curtilage requiring varying earth moving, filling, and smoothing tasks. The deficiencies of such common dirt moving implements are particularly pronounced where the ground to be smoothed includes overlying structures such as fences, box out closets and windows, and patio decks.
The instant inventive dirt grading implement overcomes such deficiencies common to box blades and dirt moving buckets by providing a laterally elongated dirt grading bar having a plurality of differently oriented dirt engaging faces, and having leftwardly and rightwardly extended dirt moving sections.
A preferred embodiment of the instant inventive dirt grading implement comprises a mounting plate and a dirt grading bar, the dirt grading bar being fixedly attached to a lower end of the mounting plate. Necessarily, the dirt grading bar has leftwardly extending and rightwardly extending sections. Preferably, the dirt grading bar is composed of a length of ballast filled hollow square tubing; such tubing preferably having four dirt engaging faces oriented forwardly, rearwardly, upwardly, and downwardly. Preferably, the junctures of such faces comprise arcuately curved implement deflecting faces for preventing downward gouging motion of the implement as it slides over ground surfaces.
The forward surface of the mounting plate preferably forms a central dirt catching panel; and preferably, the rearward surfaces of the mounting plate are adapted for releaseable attachment to an implement attachment bracket of the type commonly mounted upon the boom arms of tractor backhoes or excavators, or upon the lift arms of front loader tractors or skid steer loaders. Suitably, the rearwardly facing structures of the mounting plate may incorporate pin and device joints for pivotal attachment to such boom arms or lift arms; or alternately, for attachment to a common rear three point hitch of a tractor.
Preferably, left and right dirt catching panels extend upwardly from and are fixedly attached to the left and right extensions of the dirt grading bar, and preferably the left and right ends of the dirt grading bar further extend leftwardly and rightwardly beyond left and right ends of said dirt catching panels.
In an alternate configuration of the present inventive dirt grading implement, removable attaching means interconnect the left and right extensions of the dirt grading bar with a central section of such bar. A preferred removable attaching means comprises slip joints. Numerous other removable attaching means such as bolt and plate attachments, bolt and flange attachments, and bolted or pinned lap joints may be suitably utilized. By configuring the left and right sections of the dirt grading bar so that they are capable of removable attachment, compact storage of the implement may be achieved. A further advantage of such configuration is that left and right sections having different lengths may be conveniently interchanged.
In operation of the instant inventive dirt grading implement, the central section of the implement, along with its overlying dirt catching panel, may be utilized for moving and leveling mounds of dirt. The broad span of the implement may also be utilized for grading and smoothing broad swaths of ground surfaces in either a forward pushing or a back pulling motion. Where ground is in need of smoothing beneath overlying structures such as fences, box out windows, box out closets, and patio decks, the leftwardly extending section or rightwardly extending section of the implement may be utilized for reaching under such structure for ground smoothing.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dirt grading implement which is removably attachable to the lift arms of a front loader tractor or skid steer loader, to the boom arm of an excavator or tractor backhoe, or to a tractor""s rear three point hitch.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a dirt grading implement having a dirt grading bar which extends leftwardly and rightwardly from a lower end of a mounting plate, such bar being capable of grading a broad swath along the ground, and being capable of grading ground surfaces beneath overlying structures.
Other and further objects, benefits, and advantages of the present invention will become known to those skilled in the art upon review of the Detailed Description which follows, and upon review of the appended drawings.